Clark Griswold

The plan: Keeping the shit to shoe level - Work with Israel and partners quietly to disrupt and eliminate threats - Deter and reduce Iranian influence - Destroy the Houthi movement attempting to restrict access to international water ways to anyone but Chinese,Iranian ships - Hold at risk Iran while attempting to negotiate a decent nuclear deal - Keep an eye on Turkey - Intervene minimally in Syria to prevent reversion to another version of the IS All if those missions are to keep the Chinese out. It’s not perfect but it’s better than ceding it to them as a sphere of influence Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Seaplane news https://www.twz.com/air/liberty-lifter-ekronoplan-demonstrator-aims-to-lift-c-130-sized-payloads I think a C-130 seaplane would be easier but whatever

China trying to cut training time too, much different scale than the. USAF but everyone is looking at changes https://www.airandspaceforces.com/new-report-china-pilot-training-time/ At first I thought it was ridiculously long for training but after awhile I thought they might have a point. I know that is not the way the wind is blowing in the AF right now but BO is a free for all… Why not take 18+ months maybe up to 2 years to train a military pilot not just a pilot? More flying, more experience, exposure and familiarity with concepts necessary for all USAF pilots regardless of what aircraft they drop out of training? There would be a bit o’ academics in this longer program on the how, why and what we do to execute the missions. Not talking WIC level but why not as they are learning the basics introduce the high level concepts and as they progress delve a bit deeper The payoff is in likely reduced training time in the MDS these guys get assigned to as they will already have a better base to work from versus the first time being in a $50k per hour jet learning task X. 6-9 months basic flying training plus high level overview of AirPower in the strategic plan plus some history. 6-9 months introductory military flying plus medium level overview of planning/concepts for operations. 6-9 months advanced military flying training plus simulated operational training. No idle time, allow SERE/water/mobility to be done prior to graduation, no pushing off to the FTU training that should be done prior to winging and training. Rehash of previous posts but so be it.

Keep bombing them to whatever was before the Stone Age Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Related to the theme of this thread, posted as I thought Farage described the issue very well: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2025/04/28/farages-reform-set-to-spark-biggest-british-political-realignment-in-a-century-says-top-pollster/ “Capitalism is dead, it doesn’t exist, we’re living in corporatism. An unholy alliance of big business, big banks, and big government… I genuinely think we won’t get economic growth if the country is dominated by six giant multinationals, none of whom pay tax on-shore.”

Reasonable point at this time, my earlier comment was really that we should have developed it in the late nineties to early aughties to complement the 22 as it was only then A2A focused The tech may be old but if the RUMINT that is told about the 23 is just mostly true, it’s very low signatures would be relevant today. Could that older but probably capable tech be delivered at a cost less than upcoming better tech? Don’t know but if possibly and it was significantly less in cost and it’s tech we are more comfortable sharing with Allies because it’s older, it might be worth 6.9 minutes of consideration. I would still argue for a strike focused manned platform with an unrefuelled combat radius in the 1500 nm range and a much lower price point than the upcoming 21. This would give our regional partners (Aussies, Japanese, Brits) the ability and credibility to deter dragons and bears themselves. This would also be in our inventory too, replacing the B-1 and 52, all stealth bomber fleet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So what’s the strategic dilemma to impose on them? They face no daunting distances, flood the zone is a decent tactic to make the Taiwan Strait a shooting gallery but I worry that our regional allies will get wobbly if the first shots by the PRC are only directed at Taiwan with no preemptive strikes on US / Allied assets in the area in surrounding countries. If I were a PRC general I’d try to convince leadership to not preemptively strike to not force the hand of nations hosting US forces or the US itself. Preemptive strikes or bet that the democracies will bicker internally long enough to establish a foothold and blockade thus winning inevitably?

The single engine gave me that same idea but hence the -35 Still a manned / unmanned / optionally would be my ideal as a compliment to the 47 If we weren’t on the outs with the GCAP / FCAS nations I’d say let’s look at building this with them with a level of tech we are willing to share Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

NGAD is a done deal but what about a mini me NGAD? https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/3d-lockheed-martin-ngad-2157706

That all checks, I flew the C-27, you had to get tires shipped from ‘Merica to Italy get an Alenia stamp on it then ship it back Not sustainable Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

For my two cents, I hope the Navy goes with the T-100 / 346 346 propaganda:

You’ll be a richer man methinks given where the T-7 is in development (also being pitched to the Navy)

T-50N being offered to the USN https://www.aviacionline.com/lockheed-and-kai-offer-the-tf-50n-to-replace-the-us-navys-t-45

Posting here as this affects the gathering storm with China, if it goes thru and we sell them AMRAAMs… https://www.19fortyfive.com/2025/04/vietnam-has-reached-an-agreement-to-buy-u-s-f-16-fighter-jets/?_gl=1*8cu3hz*_ga*MTMxOTM1MzM3NS4xNzQ1MDI1ODg2*_up*MQ..

We should / should’ve developed the 23 into the Regional Bomber concept to complement the 21

J-36 Cylon, so shall it be

I’m not saying it will be 100% reshoring of the supply chains, that it will be magical, that it will be environmentally perfect… what I am saying that staying with the status quo is strategically awful. Strategically being composed of multiple factors considering not just which country in the insane globalized economy is willing to warp, cheat, subsidize and exploit their workers, the environment, lie and subvert naive nations who for ridiculous reasons think that in a world run by fallen humans there is a truly free market. Reshoring, tariffs and other national policies are not perfect but necessary. Our tech boom / economic boom of the 90s to 00s was a sugar high fueled by cheap labor, delusions that other people just wanted to get along / make money and a devious government exploiting open societies.

https://theaviationist.com/2025/04/09/scaled-composites-proteus-and-sierra-nellis/

Intended effect

Catalina with 4 engines https://www.autoevolution.com/news/bird-innovator-an-executive-flying-boat-based-on-a-wwii-icon-with-two-extra-engines-196514.html https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Innovator

I’ll take robust manufacturing and environmental responsibility for $1000 Alex… Tech has wildly improved since the beginning of the offshoring, as we reshore and if we hasten the process with tariffs to adjust for countries manufacturing with less environmental regard than us, I’m confident that we would make goods affordably and about 69x more environmentally friendly than X country that doesn’t GAF about pollution or their workers.

Not sure if the Caldius B-350 would count as light but if we are discussing platforms that can do the armed overwatch mission and be relevant for the INDOPACOM theater, bigger seems better sts Payload, fuel and size to accommodate larger stand off weapons, podded sensors, etc… I don’t think it went past the airshow mockup but an aircraft this size is probably where the SOF and MCO communities could meet in the middle and get a common platform for both mission sets, they do overlap. Enough for everyone’s gear to fit, enough power to carry enough to be relevant, enough range to be back from the fight but capable of operating in small fields to support the big fight. As it never flew, it’s just a WAG but a combat radius of 450 NM with probably 2+ hours on station, it easily covers the naval passages south of the PI to Northern Australia, probably 2000 NM ferry range, self deploy but rugged & cheap enough to operate in detachment in AFRICOM for continuous operations there.